#hana fear effect

[swaggerblonde]

Swagger Blonde Let's Plays Fear Effect 2 PlayStation One Part 5 Come on ...

[mvfm-25]

" Murder and mayhem interrupted by frequent dressing and undressing! "

GamePro Magazine n148 - January, 2001.

[nuac]

90s video game hell!!!!

[dokonskit]

I'm done playing Fear Effect. It was amazing! The only survival horror game on PlayStation 1 that I've finished (not counting Parasite Eve). It seems to me that the game is ahead of its time: animated backgrounds, wonderful animations of characters and their facial expressions, the presence of stealth and a wonderful visual style, which makes you not think that the game is for PlayStation 1. I also like the fact that the characters in the gameplay and cutscenes look the same. I couldn't figure out the plot completely, because I was playing with a bad translation into Russian, but it's quite commendable that the plot is served without any notes and letters, as in Resident Evil. I'm also pleased that fans compare Fear Effect with the cartoon Anastasia. This is a very unexpected comparison. I'm getting to the sequel — Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix, and I'll also start Clock Tower.)

Я закончил играть в Fear Effect. Это было потрясающе! Единственная игра в жанре survival horror на PlayStation 1, которую я прошёл (не считая Parasite Eve). Мне кажется, что игра обогнала своё время: анимированные фоны, прекрасные анимации персонажей и их мимики, наличие стелса и прекрасного визуального стиля, из-за которого и не подумаешь, что игра для PlayStation 1. Ещё мне нравится то, что персонажи в геймплее и в катсценах выглядят одинаково. В сюжете я не смог разобраться до конца, так как играл с плохим переводом на русский, однако довольно похвально, что сюжет подаётся без каких-либо записок и писем, как в Resident Evil. Также меня радует то, что фанаты сравнивают Fear Effect с мультфильмом Анастасия. Это очень неожиданное сравнение. Приступаю ко второй части — Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix, а также я возьму на прохождение Clock Tower.)

[panzerdrako]

[mothwingwritings]

Release

F!Reader X Ren Hana

Hello everyone!!! Back at it again with a new Boyfriend To Death fic ❤

I know what you might be saying. “Wow another BTD fic based around a collar, real original Moth” BUT in my defense I actually wrote this one before the story I wrote for Strade. My brain barfed this out a few months ago (when I finished playing through Ren’s route for the first time) but I wanted to make something Christmas-esque because it was December, so Strade’s story came out first.

Regardless, I had a lot of fun writing both, so I hope you enjoy them too! ❤

Though there is nothing overtly sexual in this, due to the subject nature of this fic this story is 18+ ONLY please!!!

Warnings: imprisonment, abuse (physical and mental), reader has some extreme Stockholm syndrome going on, incredibly unhealthy relationship, biting, blood, reader gets hurt, mentions of sex, I guess maybe petplay potentially??? (what with the collar and all).

Thank you for reading!

“Okay… You promise you’ll be a good girl, right? No funny business?”

Despite being perched on soft carpet, your legs ached from kneeling on them for the past half hour. You kept your back pin straight and your shoulders even, your hands neatly folded in your lap. His voice was cheery as he spoke down to you, playful even, but you knew Ren well enough to know that these next moments were crucial. With him, even the most benign moments could turn at the drop of a hat.

“I promise Ren. I’ll be good.”

Your voice was soft as you responded to him, big doe eyes looking up at the beastkin in expectation. Your promise wasn’t a lie- you always intended to be good for him, striving to do so even when the situation made that nearly impossible. You bit your bottom lip apprehensively, a slight shiver wracking Ren’s body when you did so. He was watching you just as closely as you were him, drinking in your form, honing in on each and every move of your body and change of expression. 

He smiled at you, that sad half smile he always got when he was grappling with his inner emotions. “I know you will. You are always good for me… To me…” He hesitated for a moment, staring with trepidation at the key that lay in his hand. It was no bigger than his pinky, but seemed to weigh him down regardless.

“I’m just, um, nervous I guess. But I’m not sure why? It’s not like taking it off is gonna change anything,” Though he laughed to dispel the tension, it had the opposite effect, his nerves palpable as he fidgeted where he stood.

For a moment you thought he was going to go back on his word. Tell you to forget about it and toss the shock collar’s key aside, leaving you stuck in it for another day. Part of you wondered if that would even matter. Ren was right, nothing truly would change, collar or not.

… But still, you couldn’t help but hope. That cruel, nagging feeling swelled up in your heart, making your breath hitch in anticipation. Your heart beat like a drum in your chest and sweat slicked your brow as you watched him nervously turn the key around in his palm, your fate in his hands as he mulled the decision over.

It had been months now that the collar had been around your neck, heavy and overbearing, a constant, torturous reminder of your new life. He had only allowed it to come off in brief intervals when you showered or when you slept so that you could find some comfort as you laid next to him, caged in by his embrace. Otherwise it wrapped around your neck like a noose, and even though these days its intended purpose was hardly necessary, Ren kept it firmly in place. He was too afraid to keep it off you for long, worried that given the choice you would abandon him too.

But you wouldn’t. For better or worse, whatever twisted feelings Ren had harbored for you, you now shared for him-all of his ardent affections reciprocated. Deep inside you knew this all was wrong, and it would be a blatant lie if you said you no longer felt any fear or sadness over all that had transpired (all that continues to transpire) while he held you in captivity. Even so, none of that dulled the fact that at this point you craved his touch, yearned for his smile, and wanted nothing more than his companionship and love to get you through the lonely struggle life had become.

After spending months with him as your only companion, you had grown to care deeply for Ren. Though the experience was often terrifying and confusing, you had learned to place your trust in him as he watched over you the past half year, relying on him for all your needs and necessities. The more time you spent together, the more you learned about him. And the more you learned, the more you began to open up to him. 

After a certain point, love began to blossom.

That feeling flourished within, growing so unruly that even his moments of torment and cruelty were accepted with open arms. It took you awhile to realize it, but you now understand that everything Ren does he does for your benefit. Whether he was treating you like a princess or teaching you a harsh lesson, Ren did everything in his power to make sure you were cared for, protected, and aware. Life wasn’t always fair and kind, it was better to be taught that at the hands of someone who loved you then to experience it unexpectedly out in the wild.

Looking back on it now, you were a fool not to appreciate him sooner. All the fussing and fighting you did when he first brought you home seemed completely ridiculous now. He took you in, let you live in a nice home, prepared you home cooked meals every day, and lavished you in affection even when you were being stubborn and didn’t deserve it.

For all that he is and all that he has done for you- the good and bad alike- he deserved nothing but your wholehearted devotion in return. Thinking about the past made you cringe but you refused to let yourself get caught up in it, doing your best every day to be good for him and make up for your prior indiscretions. He loved you with all that he is, poured his soul into caring for you and keeping you content. No past lover had ever treated you with the loyalty or attention that Ren had, and you were thankful for that.

 His happiness had become your happiness. To risk the life you had built together by taking advantage of his kindness was unthinkable.

But even with your steadfast dedication to him, he still continued to mull over this decision with a deep scowl plastered on his face. An ache blossomed in your chest. Surely he had to realize by now that he was just as precious to you as you were to him? You pouted a bit as you watched him agonize over the situation, your heart hurting to see him have such a lack of faith in your bond.

“… Ren?”                                                                                    

Your questioning voice caught his attention, dragging his focus away from the key he was clutching in his sweaty grip. The moment you had grabbed his attention, you slowly began scooting closer to him, your knees itching as they scratched against the fibers of the fancy carpet. Once you neared him, you raised your hands till they cupped his, gently enveloping his shaky fist in your warm hold. You pulled his hand towards your mouth, delicately kissing each of his fingers as you stared up into his eyes.

“If you don’t want to take it off, you don’t have to,” you smiled at him genuinely, your lips lingering on his thumb before you pulled away. You felt a shiver pass through him as his eyes grew hazy, boring into yours with growing intensity, “I can tell it’s making you uncomfortable, so it’s OK. I am not upset, we can keep it on another day-“

“No.”

Your eyes widened at the assuredness in his voice, all previous concern nonexistent. “No… It’s time to take it off. It’s only getting in the way at this point. Just… Gimme a second, OK?”

He positioned himself behind you, nervous hands fumbling as he worked to remove the collar. After several seconds of poking and prodding, a loud ‘click’ came from the back of your neck followed by a small thud as the heavy collar fell from your body, colliding with the carpeted floor.

Your hand’s shot up to touch your exposed skin, a shiver coursing through you as the cold air hit your sweaty flesh. Tears began to well in your eyes as the realization donned on you. You were free. You had been a good girl for Ren and he rewarded you for it, just like you knew he would.

“W-well,” you heard Ren stutter above you, clearly a bit nervous about what may happen next, “What do you think? How does it feel?”

“It feels amazing,” your voice warbled as you still got used to the sensation. Its absence was foreign and exciting and you couldn’t help but break out in a huge, elated grin. “Thank you Ren. Thank you so much.”

He lowered himself in front of you, crouching on his knees. “Can I see?” A hint of worry still remained in his timid voice, fearful that you may still end up rejecting him.

You looked to him with a smile and nodded, baring your neck for him to witness. “Of course! I probably look a little bit different without it on, huh?”

“Pretty…” His voice was breathless as he dragged his fingers gingerly across the freed skin of your neck. His pupils dilating slightly as he felt you shudder under his touch. “So, so pretty… But also, a little barren, don’t you think?”

Your breath caught at the insinuation, a small wave of panic causing your body to tense. Did he regret his decision after all? Was he going to put the collar back on? You had told him it was fine if he decided that, and you weren’t someone who went back on their word, but at the same time… that was before you experienced it. Now that you realized how good it felt without that horrible, weighty reminder clinging to your skin, you dreaded the thought of it attached to your body once more.

An airy chuckle fell from his lips as he noted your reaction. He leaned in closer to you, his hand cupping your cheek as he brought his mouth close to your ear.

“Don’t worry pumpkin, I’m not going to put it back on. But I do hate the idea of you walking around without something on your body to signify that you’re mine, you know?” His caress traveled from your cheek, his right hand snaking around your head to cradle it, pulling you closer to him. His free hand wrapped around your waist, which kept you flush against him.

“I want to give you something better than that collar,” his voice had become strained, lithe fingers curling up to entangle in your hair, tugging roughly on the strands at the base of your neck. “I want you to have something personal, something that will look perfect on you.”

Without another word, he latched himself to your neck. Not in a kiss, but a harsh, powerful bite.

You gasped as his sharp incisors dug themselves into your flesh, a wave of pain causing tears to flood your eyes. You pressed your fists against his chest, biting down on your trembling bottom lip in an effort to hold back your cries.

Warm blood trickled from the wound as he detached himself, a vibrant trail snaking from the puncture wound to slither down your neck. His tongue stopped it before it hit your collar bone, leaving a wet, sloppy streak across your neck as he licked up the mess.

“This is much better, right?” He asked tentatively, his fingers traveling down to trace the wound he had inflicted. Blood coated his fingertips as he ran them over the injury, his breath hitching as he smeared you with crimson, “prettier… you are so pretty, (name)…”

“T-thank you Ren,” you flinched at the movement of his fingers, shuddering as he pressed down on the open wound, “It’s much better.”

“Hmmm,” he hummed, pivoting your head slightly so that he could nuzzle into the unmarred side, “but it’s not perfect yet, there needs to be more.”

Another abrupt bite sunk into your flesh. This time you couldn’t help but cry out, blubbery whimpers tumbling from your quivering lips. You felt Ren shiver against you, your reactions eliciting an excited moan from him that was muffled by your flesh in his jaw. The hold his teeth had on you eventually yielded, but the assault of his mouth did not. Feverish kisses pressed against the new wound, his tongue lapping at the blood as it muscled its way across the puncture. You whined at the sensation, waves of pain emanating from the weeping, gory wounds as he continued to aggravate them.

When he finally pulled away tears had already begun to fall freely down your cheeks. Though he had given your neck a much needed break, you were given no time to collect yourself as he proceeded in pressing his lips firmly to yours. The taste of copper flooded your tongue as he deepened the kiss, forcibly pushing himself against you until you had no choice but to lean backwards, your back falling flat against the floor as he crawled overtop you.

He placed his hands on either side of you, his legs straddling your hips as he sat himself atop you. You were effectively caged in when his lips parted from your own, and though his face was obscured in shadows, you could clearly see a swath of your blood spread across his mouth. It perfectly complimented the animalistic hunger in his eyes, his mischievous fox like features seeming far more sinister than normal as he leered down at you.

If you didn’t know any better, you would fear he was going to eat you alive.

“I want to mark you in all kinds of ways, (Name),” His tongue darting out to swipe across his bottom lip, a sliver of pink peeking through the red, “I want to mark you to show you how much I love you. I want you to be able to look at every inch of your body and be reminded of me. That way even if we get separated, you won’t be lonely. You’ll have a constant reminder of how much I love you.”

A serene smile spread across his face as he looked at you, the vibrancy of his blush nearly matching the blood that coated his mouth and chin. He shifted a bit above you, the feel of his hardening cock unmistakable as it pressed against your pelvis.

“I love you,” his voice wavered as he leaned closer towards you, unsteady breaths fanning your face as his lovesick eyes drank you in. His lips were teasingly close to yours as he continued to smile down at you, a small, happy laugh tumbling from his lips as his tail began to swish behind him in excitement.

“I’m so glad I made you mine.”

[mimikyuno]

trans representation: my hopes and fears about mizuki5 🏳️‍⚧️

im writing this post so that i can keep a record of all of my current thoughts on the upcoming n25 event, which im fairly certain will come soon (september?). i just. i have a lot of thoughts on this topic and i wanna share them before the event drops.

disclaimer: i am tme, and while i am not cis, i am not transfem.

depiction of transfeminine characters in anime has been quite… how do i even put this into words. trans women are depicted as either a joke, or as an “otokonoko” which for brevity’s sake let’s translate to femboy (i highly recommend on reading on the history of the term though). the trope of “tr*ps” was quite common, and used for comedic effects. i think of ruka from steins;gate, who is clearly a trans woman; she has dysphoria, asks okabe to go back in time so she can be born biologically female etc. yet, her womanhood is never taken seriously. “she’s a dude after all.”

i have already written a small post about the history of the “otokonoko” label and the way trans women consistently get third gendered in the anime scene so i won’t repeat myself. the thing is, many transfem characters i have seen in anime are either uncracked eggs or, when out, are often not taken seriously by the rest of the cast. a lot of transfem characters i know of fall in between being an uncracked egg and being out; these would be the very many “girly boys” who identify as male, while living their lives as women and being happy about passing, while people around them who know about their agab either treat them as men or third-gender them. for example, kuranosuke from kuragehime stays an egg throughout the series. as i mentioned in a previous post, i see makoto from the currently airing senpai wa otokonoko as a closeted trans girl struggling with internalised transphobia. she has dysphoria, is happier and feels like her “real self” when presenting as a girl, displays gender euphoria when she passes, and more. narratively, she is coded as a girl. i havent read the manga, but i know the author drops the ball, and makoto never gets to come out in the series.

i can only think of a handful of trans women who are both out AND are taken seriously within the narrative. for example hana from tokyo godfathers, nao-chan from skip and loafer, or isabella from paradise kiss (iirc). though i have not watched these anime, i know that lily from zombieland saga, alluka from hxh, seiko from lovely complex and shuuichi from wandering son also tick both the “out of the closet” and “taken seriously” categories.

the situation is slightly different in manga. in manga, i have always found more trans representation (both transmasc and transfem). however, before we move on to mizuki, i really want to talk about one of my favourite mangas, namely “love me for who i am”, aka fukaboku (anime adaptation when ;-;). this manga revolves around mogumo, a non binary teen who is struggling to make friends. their classmate, a cis boy, mistakes mogumo for an otokonoko, and invites them to work at the crossdressing cafe that his sister (a trans woman) owns. mogumo is initially upset; they are not a girly boy, they are non binary. mogumo is reassured that the cafe is a place for people to be who they are, and they dont have to identify as an otokonoko to work there. this strikes a nerve with mei, one of the kids working there, who is a closeted trans girl. throughout the manga, these characters all come to be more and more unapologetically themselves. lgbt themes are addressed constantly (they even go to a pride parade!!) and the trans women depicted in this manga are some of the best written ones i have come across. because they are actually acknowledged as women.

the reason why i want to talk about fukaboku before discussing mizuki, is that the 4 kids who work at the cafe cover the spectrum of “crossdressing boys” we usually see in anime, though taking it a step further with mogumo and mei. firstly we have ten-chan. he mostly identifies as a boy. he likes anime and manga and cosplaying, he’s into girls (but also hinted to bi maybe? i need to reread this), and he’s an adorable weirdo. to him, dressing as a girl in the cafe is fun, clothes have no gender to him. then there is sou, who is gay and also identifies with his agab. sou has a boyfriend, and the cafe is the only place where he gets to gush about him and feel accepted. he likes cute clothes but always dresses masculinely outside the cafe. then there’s mogumo. as mentioned, mogumo is non binary. they like cute things, so they sometimes like feminine clothes like the maid uniform they wear at the cafe, but they actually prefer a cute androgynous style (they often wear shorts instead of skirts). lastly, mei (my fave, my daughter, light of my life). at the beginning of the manga, mei is a closeted trans girl. initially, she resents mogumo for rejecting the “girly boy” (otokonko) label that she thought she had to embrace to survive and be who she is. thanks to mogumo’s courage, and the guidance of two older trans women (one of which is the owner of the cafe and the other is her friend, who works in fashion), she finds a more stable sense of herself, and canonically and textually identifies as a girl.

AND NOW, onto mizuki. first things first, i see her as a trans girl. her struggle with her identity, the way she presents, her history of bullying, dysphoria (the covered mirrored), and depression (in middle school, before transitioning), visual metaphors (all the pink and blue symbols, i should make a post about this tbh) all hint at her being trans. i really dont think mizuki is an otokonoko; typically, in anime narrative, when there is an otokonoko, the fact is revealed early on, and the struggles are about being accepted as a boy who dresses like a girl or as a funny gag (tr*p). tbh, i think it wouldnt make sense for mizuki to be an otokono. if she were, her main struggle would be to accept that she wants to dress as a girl. once accepted, the arc should be resolved. and she wouldn’t be scared to say “hey im a boy” when people assume she’s a girl. especially with niigo? they met online when she was still pre-transition, if she was an otokonoko it would have made more sense if niigo thought she was a boy, and then irl saw that she looks like a girl and THAT would have been the obstacle. but that is not the case with mizuki. she is happy in people assuming she is a girl, and is terrified of being outed. that is not in line with the trope of otonoko. in fukaboku, we have two characters who are Actually “girly boys”, ten-chan and sou, and neither are like mizuki at all. they dont present femininely with their family nor at school. mizuki is way more similar to mei, when it comes to gender presentation and identity. characters who are similar to mizuki from other media and who dont identify as girls all share the same trait: they are commonly regarded as eggs.

my hope for mizuki5, is that she gets to come out as trans to ena and the rest of niigo. mizuki being confirmed trans, indirectly or not, would make the most narrative sense, looking at her story, imagery, and the build-up for the reveal. and while i desperately hope this is the case, i am overwhelmed by fear. times are changing in the anime scene, and we got canonically gay and trans characters in similar games (the lesbian couple in d4dj or the trans girl in enstars). however, project sekai is massive in japan, and quite renowned internationally too. and that comes with expectations and pressures. when gundam witch from mercury finished airing, bandai namco had to issue a statement that the relationship between miorine and suletta was “up to interpretation”, despite the fact that the two literally get married. gundam is also a huge franchise, and bandai namco chose to issue a statement that would give them plausible deniability. not only is project sekai huge, but as i previously mentioned, representation of transfeminine characters overwhelmingly labels them as an otokonoko. i think the label of “otokonoko” is very useful when it comes to plausible deniability in media; u can see this character as a closeted trans girl, or as a crossdressing boy. you pleased the transgenders, and you pleased the transphobes. expect, u didnt please us. im gonna say it, i hate the crossdressing boy trope in animanga. in most instances, it’s a way to deny the character their identity, and in others, it’s treated as a means (willingly or not) to perpetrate violent and harmful transmisogynistic jokes and stereotypes. tho i will admit, i love a lot of “otokonoko” characters, tho for my mental health i tend to view as transfem nb or just trans women.

project sekai, with the massive reach it has, has the opportunity to give its audience a canonically transfem character. a character who is a fan favorite, whose story has, so far, been handled with so much love, kindness and understanding. mizuki could become the new standard, she could change the way transfem characters are portrayed in mainstream animanga for real. i know we have to let go of the expectations that queer characters have to verbally and explicitly state their identity for them to be taken seriously by the audience but fr i hope this will be the case for this event. i dont think most people would get it otherwise, and will just keep seeing mizuki as an otokonoko. which is in itself sad; being cishet is such a default, that gay and/or characters who never explicitly come out are either misunderstood or seen as a sign of “queerbaiting” (dont get me started on yuribaiting and how insane some of y’all are calling a show with gay women “yuribait” if they dont kiss or say “I AM A HOMOSEXUAL WOMAN).

mizuki’s and ena’s VAs told us to please be kind and understand the characters in preparation for the upcoming event. i hope they go for it. i really, really do. this could for real be a huge game changer in the industry. i see how project sekai keeps inspiring other shows and games (i should make a post about this too lol), so i hope mizuki won’t be third gendered, or shoved into the otokonoko label. i hope she gets to be herself. a girl. and be accepted as one by ena and the rest of niigo. it could be huge. or it could be a flop. no in between. which is why im both excited and terrified of this event. SEGA pls-

[projectcaramel]

He Comforts You After A Bad Day - Obey Me! x Reader

Lucifer

You crash into your bed and sigh the moment you return to the House of Lamentation, feeling like death. Maybe you could just atomize yourself and become nothing today. 

“What happened?” As if attracted by your stress, Lucifer makes his appearance in your doorway, and you glance at him tiredly. 

“Nothing,” you mumble, but the great lie detector cannot be deceived. He reproaches you as he sits on the edge of your bed and eventually coerces you into divulging your secrets. 

“Why didn’t you call me?” he asks gently, even as he gently combs his hand through your hair.

“You’re always busy, and I didn’t want to bother you...” Lucifer sighs, and he pulls you to a sitting position before he wraps his arms around you, leaning your head on his shoulder. 

“You silly... How many times have I told you that you’re more important? You know how much I love you, don’t you? Or do you need me to show you again?” He kisses you gently yet passionately before looking deeply into your eyes with his entrancing deep red ones. Then he murmurs: “Come to my room.” 

“Lucifer, I don’t—” He kisses you again, effectively shutting you up. 

“That wasn’t a request,” he whispers darkly. “Tonight, we will enjoy each other’s company, and that is final. No excuses.”

Mammon

“Yo!” Mammon greets you, although you barely turn your head up from the ball you’re squashed into. You don’t really think you can handle Mammon’s energy right now. “Um... you okay?” You can feel him standing in front of you, his knees faintly cracking as he crouches down to your level. “Hey. Hey, answer me.” He says your name. Pokes you. Says it again. 

“Leave me alone,” you almost growl at him, but the white-haired idiot doesn’t budge. 

“Don’t wanna. I might be an idiot, but I’m not stupid enought that I can’t tell when you’re real upset about somethin’. I... I don’t like seein’ you all mopey, y’know?” You finally glance up at the demon to see him suddenly averting his eyes, a pink flush coming over his face. “A-Anyway!” He grabs hold of your hand, bringing you to your feet before he starts dragging you away. “I know just the thing that’ll make ya feel better!” 

“Do you?” you challenge, but Mammon doesn’t seem perturbed aside from his embarrassment as he pulls you outside the House of Lamentation, towards his car. For a moment, you think he’s going to throw you in the passenger seat and take you for a drive, but instead, he reaches into the trunk and pulls out a small box. 

“You like these, don’tcha? I swung by Madame Scream’s this morning, and she was givin’ ‘em out. She even let me decorate one of ‘em myself. She said I have quite the talent!” You give Mammon a long look before you open the box to reveal six beautiful Cursed Cookies. Well, five of them are beautiful. Mammon’s is... truly a display of talent. 

You can’t help but finally break a smile as you give Mammon a hug and a kiss that sends him stuttering and getting red in the face. 

Leviathan

Levi: Hey. 

Levi: I know you don’t want to watch Hana Ruri: Kuroi Bara again. 

Levi: But the anime night is still on, right? 

Levi: Are you ignoring me?

You put down your phone and nursed your eyes. This wasn’t the time to watch anime, was it? In the first place, you didn’t really have the energy to reassure Levi that he wasn’t a cringe otaku and that you weren’t a disgusting normie. 

This time, Levi didn’t give you the option though, since you heard him saying your name from outside the door. 

“Sorry... it’s just that you don’t usually ignore me, so I got anxious that maybe you didn’t want to be my girlfriend anymore... I don’t want to be a bother... I just wanted to know what I did...” 

“Oh, Levi,” you groan softly, tangling your hands into your hair as you eventually get up from your desk and open the door for the purple-haired male. He seems surprised to see you. 

“Have... you been crying?” His face suddenly fills with fear. “Is it my fault?” He grabs hold of your shoulders, but you shake your head. 

“I’m just stressed out,” you reply. “Sorry; I didn’t want to bring you down with my moodiness, but I ended up doing it anyway...” 

“What are you talking about? In the first place, you could never bring me down! I’m happy just to be around you!” He shakes his head. “Nevermind that; I am declaring Operation NEETflixx and Chill! Or gaming. Or whatever!” 

Satan

“I thought I’d find you here.” You glance up from the chair you’ve been sitting in, having migrated to a part of the library that the guys seldom visited. With the exception of this one, apparently. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing. I just wanted to read Ira Deorum.” The fact that you can’t read ancient Latin aside, Satan sees right through you regardless. 

“Is it about what happened earlier today?” Your silence is answer enough, and Satan takes the seat across from you, folding his hands together. “Listen... I get wanting to be alone with your thoughts for a little bit, but I get worried about you, you know? I almost started calling for you walking through the house like I was looking for a lost cat.” For a moment, it seems that Satan is getting engrossed in the idea of you being a cat before he continues softly: “You know I want to help you, right?” 

“...how can you?” you mumble. “It’s something I have to deal with... not you.” 

“That doesn’t mean I can’t help,” Satan replies, and you watch as he reaches out his green-nailed hand for yours, hesitating for only a moment before he grabs hold of your hand. “At the very least, I can teach you not to spend so much time worrying about things you don’t need to worry about. And then we can go to a cat cafe and read some mystery novels together. Isn’t that better than just brooding?” 

You eventually return Satan’s squeeze to your hand, and you find yourself smiling a little.

“Yeah... I think that might be better.”   

Asmodeus

“Hey~ Guess who just got the most gorgeous lip tint in the world~?” You barely glance at Asmodeus as he pops into your room. Right now, you’re not sure if you could care less over whether his lips are slightly more pink or more glittery or whatever he did to them this time. “Hm? What’s the matter? Aren’t you going to take a picture of me?” 

“I don’t want to,” you finally say, and Asmo jumps back as if he’s just been struck.

“Why not?” he asks, popping his head closer to you. “Oh! What terrible red eyes!” He takes your face in his soft hands, even as his orange eyes change from offense to concern. “No wonder you can’t focus on me; poor thing, you must be so upset... Alright; it’s decided!” 

“What is?” you grumble irritatedly. 

“What else?” he questions happily. “We’re going to get facials~!” You say that like it’s obvious, you think irritatedly.

“Why?” 

“Why not~? It’s nice to treat yourself every now and again, right? I’ll do it especially for you so that you can take a nice, long break... and you even get the benefits of being able to rest your eyes on me~” You find yourself perking up a little bit despite yourself. At first, it sounded like he was dragging you out to a spa, but for Asmo to personally take care of you? He was very thorough with his beauty care routines, and you must admit that his gentle touch sounded very comforting right now. 

“Fine,” you mumble, and Asmo brightly smiles before he pulls you into his bedroom. 

Beelzebub

“Piss off!” you snap at the redhead as he complains that he’s hungry for 12 hundredth time that day. He turns his back and wanders away drooping, leaving you alone with your thoughts as you knead your pillow. You probably would have apologized if he’d stayed there for another few minutes, but he’s already gone, probably wondering what he did to make you mad. You aren’t really angry with Beel; usually you don’t even mind working a few extra hours to get food for him, but today your emotions are all over the place.  

With how harshly you snapped at him earlier, you’re surprised when Beel returns to your room while you’re curled up in your blankets. This time, he’s come bearing a huge pot of stew, and you can feel your mouth watering. You haven’t eaten in hours, and you can smell the rich aroma of the soup he’s made, undoubtedly his specialty. 

“Um... so, I made this for you,” he begins as he sets it the pot down on the floor and holds up a bowl. “I didn’t mean to make you angry, but I didn’t know how to apologize... I started asking everyone how they thought I should go about it, and then... this happened.” Beel nudges you. “Do you... want to eat?” He sounds so hesitant, like a puppy that’s been kicked once. 

You sit up, your eyes watering as you tell Beel that of course you want to eat and that you’re sorry for being unreasonable. 

“I’m just having a bad day,” you sniff, wiping at your eyes. “And... anyway, do you think I’m going to finish all of that? Get yourself a bowl so we can eat together, you big, lovable musclebrain.”  Beel brightens and happily rushes off for a second bowl. 

Belphegor

“God, this freaking sucks,” you groan, covering your face with your hand while leaning back in your chair. You’ve been pulling all-nighters, but now you can’t sleep when you want to. 

Behind you, you can hear Belphegor snoring, which annoys you to a surprising degree considering how much you love the lazy sloth. You’re half-tempted to interrupt his sleep and make him endure this sleepless hell with you, but it’s to your surprise that Belphie wakes up. 

“Hmmm? Why aren’t you asleep?” he mumbles drowsily. “And why’d you leave the bed? I was so comfortable...” Belphie sits up yawning and stretching. 

“Well I’m sorry I couldn’t make you comfortable, Belphie,” you retort, more acid than you would have liked, and his purple eyes turn over to you. 

“What’s with the hostility right after I wake up?” he grumbles, even as he stands up and walks behind your chair to lean his body into you, his head resting on top of yours. 

“Belphie, what are you doing?” you sigh. 

“Bugging you until you go to sleep with me.” 

“I can’t sleep, Belphie.” 

“That so?” For a moment, you think he’s going to just nap there until he starts singing. “Tsukaretara tama ni wa boku to... Yuttari hirune demo sureba iiyo...”

“What are you doing?” 

“Haven’t you ever heard of a lullaby? Come to bed already; you look like death.”

“Thanks Belphie.”

“You’re welcome.” 

“That was sarcasm.” 

“I know. Sleep with me anyway.” He keeps singing anyway, and you eventually succumb to his insistence and go back to bed. Despite your reservations, your insomnia evaporates as if it never existed.

 

Diavolo

“Are these from Lucifer?” Diavolo asks you as you offer him a stack of papers, and you curtly nod. “Thank you for always taking the trouble... I keep telling him that I’d be happy to come get them myself...” 

“It’s fine; your day is busy as it is,” you reply, although you feel like breaking down then and there. Diavolo doesn’t miss the waver in your voice, and when he inquiringly says your name, you can’t hold back the tide of tears. Another moment, and Diavolo is walking out from behind his desk and engulfing you in a crushing bear hug. He rubs your back and tells you to let it all out, that he’s there. “Sorry,” you sniffle.

“Hm? Why?” 

“I’m such a mess,” you reply helplessly, and Diavolo chuckles, making you look up at him. 

“Is there anyone that isn’t? I mean personally, I’ve had plenty of days where I’ve wanted to throw my hands up into the air and forget all about my ambitions just because it seems like they’ll never be in reach.” 

“But you get back up again and keep acting like your normal self straight away...”

“Practice,” Diavolo assures, then pauses and laughs. “Also Barbatos could be very strict with me. But my point is, it’s okay to not be at your best. There’s always tomorrow.” 

“What if there is no tomorrow?” 

“Hm...” Diavolo seems to be genuinely pondering this before he widely smiles. “Then I’ll make one for you so you can enjoy it with me.” 

Barbatos

You excuse yourself from the table where everyone is busy eating, feeling your migraine pulse from behind your eyes. Your mind is too busy right now, and the conversation at dinner is making it even worse; you want to lie down and rest, but it doesn’t seem as if you’ll be able to. 

“Barbatos, you don’t have to follow me; I’m just going to the balcony,” you tell the butler tiredly as you catch him out of the corner of your eye. 

“I’m concerned for your health, m’lady.” 

“Stop calling me that,” you half-heartedly complain, even as a faint smile touches your lips, one which Barbatos shares as he approaches closer. “You know me better.”

“Yes, I do,” he agrees, even as he uncaps a small bottle before pouring a small amount of thick, dark green liquid into the cap and hands it to you. You look at it with distaste. “It’s green tea flavored.” You raise an eyebrow before you eventually drink it, and you feel warmth surge through your face as the overwhelming taste of a robust green tea travels through your mouth. Is that matcha? 

“...Passable,” you reply, and Barbatos nods before he takes the empty cap back. 

“If there’s anything you want to tell me, then my ears are always open, you know,” he suggests, even as he places his hand against the small of your back and starts steering you further away from the banquet Diavolo is hosting. 

“Uh... where are we going?”    

“Somewhere quiet,” he replies, and he’s surprisingly firm as he pushes you along, allowing no room for argument. “There is no sense in worrying about what you could have done, only what you will do from now on. I am always here to ask for advice. Use me to your heart’s content.”

“That’s a weird way of putting it, Barb,” you chuckle. 

“Is it? Well, in any case, I will stay here for as long as you need me.” 

Simeon

[trigger warning - attempted suicide]

You stare into the rushing black water below you, wondering idly if it will feel liberating. Probably not. Still, your feet teeter off the edge of the bridge, and you start to fall. And the second you do, there’s a hand keeping a strong hold of your wrist, keeping you from the water. 

“Simeon,” you say hollowly. “Let go of me.” 

“I’m sorry, but no,” he replies, and although you start to struggle, nothing can compete with his strength as he pulls you up, back onto the bridge. He clutches you to him for a long moment, petting your hair. “Why would you do something like that?” Although there isn’t an ounce of rebuke in his voice, it feels like he’s scolding you.

“It’s too much,” you mumble, your fingers clinging to his cape. “Enough is enough, Simeon! And don’t start with some bullshit about God! I hate God!”

“I wasn’t going to say anything about that,” he replies gently. “Just tell me what’s going on. I don’t want to be in the dark about what’s bothering you to this degree.” You finally meet his eyes as he tilts your head up to look at him, one of his hands cupping your face. You find yourself faltering at his concerned face. You know he loves you, how much you’d hurt him if you really... 

You eventually tell him what you’ve been hiding, and he listens patiently and doesn’t interrupt, only holding you on the bridge in the dead of night. 

“Thank you for telling me,” he finally says, and he holds you even tighter before he kisses you gently. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, and you didn’t deserve it. Is there something I can do to make you feel better? Like... holding hands, or talking, or having sex?” 

“Wh—Simeon!?” You can’t help but burst out laughing at the suggestion from the angel, and he smiles. You realize he said that just to distract you, and you find yourself feeling somewhat grateful for it. 

“I want you to be happy,” he pushes gently. “I’d even go so far as to say that I consider it my responsibility... no, my privilege to make you happy. So please... let me help you.”

Solomon

“Solomon...please,” you beg, and Solomon gives you a confused look as he sets his special patitsio that is apparently his “best dish yet”. Judging by the fact that for some reason the baked noodles have turned dark, crusty purple, it’s far from the Greek dish he’s trying to imitate.  “I really don’t want to eat it...” 

“Hm? Why not? It’s really good.” What is wrong with your tastebuds?

“Look, I just, I’ve had a rough day, and I don’t want diarrhea on top of that.”

“Rough? Why? What happened?” Solomon puts down the weird matter that he calls his cooking on the table, pulling off his oven mitts as he sits next to you. You explain it briefly, and Solomon thinks to himself for a moment. “That sucks,” he replies. 

“You’re telling me.”  

“Well, you could always just curse them.” 

“I—Sol, you’re talking about my boss.” You’re have a hard time not cracking up as he suggests a few other methods of getting your revenge, several of them absolutely ridiculous.

“I can do it for you too.” You finally break and let yourself laugh, feeling the tension drain out of your body.

“Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think that’s going to solve anything.”

“Really? Worked for me. Well, what do you want then?” 

“Mmm... Kiss me?” Solomon chuckles, giving something of a helpless expression. 

“What a tame request,” he lightly mocks before he grants your wish, leaving you faintly smiling, glad that he didn’t eat any of his cooking beforehand. 

[zhivaoverdrive]

Pirska-2, Chapter 5

This story was on hold for a long time. I promise I am attempting to take it somewhere interesting, if you eat your vegetables first it might turn into a good story. Chapter 7 is being finalised. There is some degree of tonal whiplash and 'mature themes' beginning now. If you can guess what I've been reading too much of tin the mean time, you win a prize. ----

Chapter 5

As she burst through the threshold, compact machine pistol raised, Hana was reassured to see Vas frozen behind his desk.

He was moving, albeit slowly. Trying to shut off the large array of security monitors affixed to the wall.

“We will talk-” Hana began, before her gaze got stuck on one of the monitors.

It was one monitor of many, but the impossibly inflated woman asleep on a mattress seized her attention.

Candy… she thought, her grip tightening on the machine pistol pointed square at Vas’ dome.

But it wasn’t Candy. This woman looked Korean. Her breasts may have rivalled Candy’s, but it was unmistakably a different woman.

“Don't. Move”. Hana hissed at Vas

“The other screens. Turn them on”.

Hana pushed her feelings down as she scanned through the monitors.

Many showed empty rooms, mattresses on floors, screens on walls.

But others showed women like the first. Sleeping or delirious, extreme body modifications, alone.

A pale woman laying on her side, grossly overfilled breasts spilling beyond the edge of her mattress, not Candy.

Another Korean, her gigantic ass blown up into two spheres, both winning the battle of keeping the woman horizontal. Her skinny legs looked completely inadequate of hauling her bulk around, the petite woman was simply attached to her own spheroid beach-ball ass.

“Where. Is. She”. spat Hana, the gun now inches from Vas’ head.

Vas’ tried to hide his fear as a final larger monitor flickered to life.

Hana gasped.

—

10 minutes earlier

He was sluggish, remaining outside had only shielded him so much.

Even a tiny wave of the NEMP had reduced his functionality to little more than a limp mode.

To think that was… a tiny one. A pebble. Now his second time on the receiving end of a wave, it proved no easier than his first.

But J.Q pressed on, one foot in front of the other. Threading as carefully through the crowded room as his size and numbed neural link would allow.

It was a surreal sight, with the main power fluctuating, the frozen figures were illuminated only by dim red emergency lighting.

Strippers with their hands locked around poles, fear in their eyes yet unable to move a muscle.

Patrons locked into chairs, but most importantly, the other Heavies gathered around the guard room, frozen stiff. But for how long.

He kept the assault rifle trained on them as he trudged on towards the door.

With all eyes on her, Hana stayed a step behind her new meat, her shield.

Fresh Pirska-2 coursed through her veins.

The amateurishly improvised NEMP bomb strapped to her chest was heavy, but she was still the fastest moving thing in this building. For the moment.

After an eternity, J.Q and Hana reached the hallway that led to the backrooms. The main lights flickered on and off.

J.Q’s legs were starting to free up, the effects would soon be wearing off everyone else in the room too.

He flipped tables and took up a firing position between them. It wasn’t much of a barricade, but it would have to do. The ammunition in his own rifle would tear through an engine block, let alone a table. But it was better than nothing.

“I’m almost back Hana, might be now or never” he said, with nothing but a fraction of his head and rifle barrel visible from behind the table barricade.

Hana remained crouched behind her mostly-human shield and steeled herself, then stood straight up to face the room.

“NO-ONE MOVES.

NO-ONE LEAVES.

YOU HAVE FELT WHAT A TINY ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE DOES” Hana shouted, holding an unused grenade above her head.

“OFFLINE MUCH LONGER AND YOU'D DIE.

THIS ONE IS A THOUSAND TIMES THE SIZE.

DON’T MAKE ME USE IT.

DO. NOT. MOVE.

THIS INCLUDES YOU VAS” she finished, before ducking back down behind J.Q and the barricade.

“Go get her Han-” J.Q began.

“Wait. Movement.”

Hana’s organic eyes couldn’t make it out, but a Heavy was inching his hand towards the locker behind him.

J.Q was now fully online. He could see everything in a combat situation.

Head of the guard. The top goon. His old boss. A miserable prick at the best of times.

“SHOW ME THAT YOU UNDERSTAND, KHOZ” J.Q shouted, raising his head slightly above the table line.

But Khoz kept moving. Just fulfilling his role.

“Go now, behind me until around the corner. Leave the grenades. Get her out” J.Q said quietly, so that only Hana could hear him.

He stood straight up, his hulking figure now presenting a clear target. A clear target, but also a 200cm kevlar plated shield.

Hana moved quickly. As she rounded the corner, her own gun now up, she could still hear J.Q shouting.

“NO ONE PASSES OR THE-”

The sentence was cut off by a sudden burst of semi-automatic gunfire.

Hana tensed. It sounded like J.Q’s anti-material rounds, but could she be sure?

It would be a miracle if he survived, they both knew that. But what else was a Heavy do in this world.

Besides, she had just arrived.

[swaggerblonde]

Swagger Blonde Let's Plays Fear Effect 2 PlayStation One Part 4 Pandora's Maze

[lizzybeth1986]

Masterlist for More Recent Meta

My old essay masterlist was written during the time I was still actively playing Choices, and often went into detail on the diamond scenes of certain characters. But in more recent years, I began writing essays stemming from asks I recieved. I couldn't put them in that masterlist because it was too full by then, and over time all my essays/meta posts became difficult to track. I thought it would be a good time to compile them in a separate place.

Many of these essays were written around 2019-2021, and a lot may have happened since the writing of those. So do understand that some of them were written at a time when the full story was not out, but the arguments behind them often still hold.

I will keep adding to this list as and when I find more essays.

Choices and Race

Fear of the Second Book (ft. Sloane Washington)

CoC and Fandom Hypocrisy (ft. Xanthe)

Colorism

What White Woman are Allowed that WOC aren't (ft. Aurora Emery)

A Litmus Test to See Which Characters Writers/Teams Care For (ft. Zoey Wade)

PB and Fronting Diversity

LGBTQ+ Issues and Choices

My Issues with The "Playersexual" LI Term

TRR

Cordonia and Sexism

Cordonian Nobility and Their Upbringing

Madeleine

TRR's Alternative LIs: The Romances that Didn't Happen

Character Specific Essays

Shane

The Character Who Provided A Counterview

Sloane

Rebel Goddess: An Appreciation of Sloane Washington

Nadia

Nadia Park: The Moral Epicenter of Perfect Match

Hana

Hana and the Effects of Controlling Parenting

Hana Lee: A Study in Erasure (an ongoing essay series)

How Retconning Madeleine Harmed Hana

Using Hana's Pain to Generate Sympathy for Penelope

A Breakdown of the Madeleine-MC Confrontation

Kiara

To Be Not Heard: Kiara, Penelope and the Question of Validation

Kiara Theron: The Character that the Fandom Loves To Hate

Why There is a Disdain for Kiara

PB's Obsession with Keeping Kiara Away From Liam

Liam

Monuments, Memory, Meaning: King Liam and Historical Sites

Drake's Retcon

Who is A Forced LI

The "Sucky King" Argument

Princess Lena

Hayden

The Beauty of Hayden's Harajuku Scene

Hayden's Breaking Point: Unexpected Tantrum, or a Long Awaited Catharsis?

The Hayden Young Project (an upcoming essay series)

Scene Compilations: Book 1 | Book 2

Essays (coming soon!)

[dokonskit]

WHOA!!!

[hanafubukki]

Omg hana,,,, i think this is a rumor rn (praying so hard its false-) but if theyre releasing halloween 1 on august... and possibly halloween 2 on september???

(I hope its not double events in 1 month thats a pain to complete KZJAK🥲🚶‍♀️)

Then I sure hope??? theyre releasing Glorious Masquerade on exactly Halloween (late October-November) NOT EARLIER THAN THAT OR WHATS THE POINT OF EVERYTHING....😭😭💥💥💥

it'll be funny if we get book 7 on January though 😂😂😂

I hope they release book 7 on January next year on Malleus birthday,🙏🙏🙏 it'll be so funny like when they excluded him from the Anniversary Banner this year because it released prior to his bday😂😂😂

yk make him go through the stages of grief insanely as a birthday present 🎂🎂🎂

Lian 🌺🌷🩷, you have no idea the five stages of grief I went through when I heard about the schedule and then thought about when they might release book 7.

I heard, which I hope is not true at all but wouldn’t put it past EN honestly, that they are going to have:

Portfest, the two bdays (ortho and riddle), Halloween part 1 and 2, and Floyd BBC.

Which just made me pause because??? Two halloween events??? Wtf??? And while those don’t have grinding for spells, you still need to do lessons and the stamp missions too (which was so short last year, I had to fast forward the event just to get the keys and then go back and read).

I think they’ll have Portfest and then Halloween part 1, and then end of the month or very beginning of September, they’ll have Halloween part 2….but its nuts!!

My new fear unlocked is what they are going to do for September and October?? We will get masquerade but please don’t tell me we’ll get the second one too?!? Just hoping masquerade is one or two months long.

As for book 7…

No no no no Lian you don’t understand, the possibility of book 7 dropping/announcing in January is so high and has me sweating.

LIKE JANUARY IS LILIAS AND MALLEUS BDAY MONTH and mine too

SO IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT TIME FOR THEM TO ANNOUNCE/DROP IT. BOOK 7?? The book that is about essentially how LILIA CAUSES A DOMINO EFFECT AND LEADS MALLEUS TO OB?? It would be the perfect time for them to announce/release it.

Let’s start the new year with a new book filled with angst 🥲🙃😭

Forget:

“I won’t loose you!”

It’s going to be:

“Now you won’t forget me!”

Because after this book release, will anyone ever forget to invite Malleus again?? 🤣🤣😂😂

[maiji]

I'll request a reading if you're still doing them! why not. for my little guy Hana. what is he afraid of with regards to... his own history? 🤔 numbers.. 11 and 23. and if you're not still doing readings.. i hope you have a great day regardless!

I am absolutely delighted to do a reading for Hana from the webcomic Kings of Sorts! Hana seems like such a sweetie but from his very first appearance it's clear there's so much more to him than meets the eye. I'm nowhere near caught up on webcomic so this will be interesting, to see whether any patterns/interpretations we pull out manage to touch on anything that readers can already experience, or whether it just veers off into another direction of far-off general speculation. So if there somehow manage to be spoilers in this reading, I'm sorry, I had no idea either. lol

#11 was The Whip (which, by the way, is actually the eleventh card in Lenormand as well, interestingly enough), and #23 was The House. This combination actually made me gasp in light of the question. Kind of an "oh! / ohhh??" gasp. I think there's a lot of potential in terms of delving deeply into creative writing inspiration or character analysis!

The Whip is a card associated with many things that can cause pain: conflict, violence, shame, anger. And The House has already come up before, so we know it's used to represent a lot of things that seem like the exact opposite of The Whip - warmth, stability, things that make you feel cozy and happy and comfortable. But it's also associated with private matters. In other words, the exterior facade presented to the world may be brightness and cheer but there may be something much darker happening behind closed doors. I am reminded of when we first meet Hana in his home, and the scene where he talks about wanting to be able to help the people in his community in some way, any way...

In short, looking for a connection between the two cards that could be a cause for fear in Hana's history seems like we have a plethora of options. If we're being super dark - was there past punishment and suffering that separated him from things he considered home or family? Did they hurt, or were they caused by, people he would consider family? And whips are also things used to control - there's a lot of symbolism for a whip as not only a weapon and instrument of torture, but also a stereotype of a tool used to manage things seen as dangerous, wild and/or "other", like some kind of beast tamer. It has a lot of cruelty associated with it.

We don't have to go down the path of only super dark places, by the way. The Whip doesn't have to be interpreted in an extreme fashion - though I suppose with creative writing/inspiration we can often feel like that's an obvious or exciting and dramatic route to go down. It can also represent an argument, a physical activity (an injury?), something much less overtly traumatic but still play a major role in a core memory/event. Also, this Whip has flags added to it for greater control and sound effects - there's a sense that it can be for show, engineered as part of a performance.

I hope this was helpful! Thank you for the opportunity to read for Hana. Please don't be too mean to him!

---

Thanks for requesting a limited time free reading to celebrate the new edition of the Fortune Lenormand oracle/art deck!

Want to dive deeper?

Fortune Lenormand oracle/art deck - there's a free downloadable overview of card meanings!

humangray.com/lenormand - more info and resources/links!

(Note: these readings are being done with my old card deck from the original printing. There's not much difference with the new edition available in the link above - the biggest one is that the new edition has a custom box ooh ahh!)

[fearsmagazine]

LATENCY - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Lionsgate

SYNOPSIS: Hana, a professional gamer struggling with severe agoraphobia, receives an intriguing offer to test cutting-edge gaming equipment that utilizes AI to decipher brain activity. Seeing an opportunity to sharpen her skills, Hana embarks on this technological journey. However, the boundaries between reality and Hana's subconscious start to dissolve as she delves deeper into the experiment, prompting her friend Jen to urge caution. Hana grapples with doubts about the true purpose of the device and its potential for malevolent consequences.

REVIEW: James Croke presents a gripping narrative of a troubled character who beta tests a cutting-edge technology, leading to a gradual unraveling of her hold on reality and life. This timeless and cautionary science fiction tale explores the potential perils of technological advancements.

The narrative of LATENCY revolves around Hana's agoraphobia, confining her to a single location. Despite her limited interactions, each one is strategically designed to shed light on her character. Jen, more than just a friend, acts as Hana's lifeline to the outside world, simultaneously enabling and challenging her situation.

A crucial element in the story is the tech—a brain interface that allows Hana to control her computer with her mind. The device's instructions emphasize the importance of prolonged use for improved functionality. However, as Hana wears it, the boundaries of her reality begin to blur. The question arises—is the device influencing her experiences, or is it her subconscious, her id, directing the device?

This plot concept bears similarities to the classic 1956 film The Forbidden Planet, where an alien technology manifests Dr. Morbius' id. However, LATENCY differs in that it is a smaller-scale tale set 20 minutes into the future, exploring contemporary themes relevant to our discussions surrounding smartphone usage. Croke's plot is firmly grounded in reality, serving as a cautionary tale about the potential consequences of our current technological advancements.

The production design of the film focuses on Hana's apartment, creating a fairy-tale-like environment while simultaneously presenting a darker and more sinister world outside, reflecting her phobia. The messy and gloomy production design mirrors Hana's mental state. Director Croke utilizes computer effects and subtle physical effects to open and close the film, gradually introducing and building upon the visual effects that play on the viewer's expectations of Hana's experiences. Croke's visually compelling shots build mystery and tension, though some sequences could have been trimmed to maintain the film's energy. Hana's character does not undergo significant costume changes, and the same is true for the other characters. J-Punch's score effectively enhances the film's atmosphere and complements the intensity of the CGI action sequences.

The film relies heavily on Sasha Luss's performance as Hana. Luss brings a vibrant energy to the role and does well in the limited physical action scenes. She effectively conveys the emotional distress and fear of the growing terror, creating a likable character with her natural charm. The rest of the cast provides admirable support, their performances are largely in support of Luss's portrayal of Hana. With the exception of Alexis Ren, who plays Hana's friend Jen, the other characters remain in shadow or are hidden behind Hana's apartment door.

LATENCY is an intriguing science fiction tale with horror elements that resembles episodes of "The Twilight Zone," "Outer Limits," or "Black Mirror." Although the film boasts a great atmosphere, impressive visual effects, and a commendable performance by Sasha Luss, it still has some rough patches. These slow the film down and if trimmed might have made it more effective as an intense hour-long episode of a sci-fi series. Nevertheless, director James Croke displays a talent for creating atmospheric films and elicits an excellent performance from his lead actress. Considering that this is his feature film debut, one can expect his next project to be even more impressive.

CAST: Sasha Luss, Alexis Ren, Margarita Bakhvalova, & Robert Coleby. CREW: Director/Screenplay - James Croke; Producers - Wych Kaosayananda, Gary A. Hirsch, Barry Brooker, Jordan Gertner & Scott Clayton; Cinematography - Wych Kaos; Score - J-Punch; Editor - Thunchanok Suthanintr; Production Designer - Toey Jaruvateekul; Costume Designer - Siyachanin Rungpatchararoj; Prosthetic Artist - Nithichote Porncahi; VFX Supervisor - Damon H Chung; Key Visuals - Wiriyah Phetchkij; OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/704AfJhfckU?si=ZrSx1Gim8exYsQXf RELEASE DATE: In theaters June 14th, 2024

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

Listen to Our Interview with director & writer James Croke - HERE

[dreamy-melody]

໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ it's almost 3 am and I'm eating a coconut yogurt

// I have lore for this sweetie but I'm too tired to type it out right now wahhh ~ I'll update this later I guess ehehehe

*editing this now to add the lore*

Yuki Yawamizu (雪 山水)

Hero Name: "Snow Angel" Quirk Type: Emitter Quirk Name: Winter Temper

Occupation: Student/Civilian

Story Behind the Quirk: One day a young Yuki came across a group of boys who were mistreating a mother rabbit and her babies. Upon seeing this the usually reserved Yuki couldn't help but confront them but instead of listening and leaving the rabbits alone the boys continued to mistreat them. Becoming annoyed by Yuki who was trying to stop them the boys pinned Yuki down face first into the freezing snow and ice. Through tear filled rage Yuki was able to stop the bullies by causing a hefty thundersnow storm...seemingly out of nowhere? Upon seeing what Yuki was capable of the boys ran away in cowardice finally leaving the rabbit family alone and although they were gone Yuki found it difficult to stop whatever was occurring with himself, he felt his heart had turned cold. Through the rustling of a snow covered bush Yuki's attention turned back to the precious rabbits which reminded him that the threat was gone and he felt his heart melt. Feeling his kindness once again now that the boys were gone he took off his scarf and used it to warm up the rabbits before parting ways with the fluffy little creatures. After that incident Yuki learned about his quirk and trained hard to control it on his own accord hoping to use it to help others meanwhile not letting his emotions become overwhelming to handle.

Quirk Side Effects: If Yuki overworks his quirk he's prone to fatigue, muscle aches, difficulty regulating body temperature, and migraines. Although he enjoys training and prefers cold weather in general if he's exposed to frigid temperatures for too long he's at risk to developing 3rd degree frostbite (superficial frostbite which reveals an underneath layer of skin and tissue that appears white or grey). Yuki's extremities, such as his ears, nose, cheeks, fingers, and toes, are more often than not red due the training he undergoes. Due to dangerous risks such as the damage and loss of tissue Yuki has yet to train past his breaking point, having an intense fear of developing 4th degree burns (deep frostbite which causes skin to turn black due to the death of cells and the inability for joints and muscles to work) and having to amputate parts of his body alongside developing corneal frostbite which would deeply damage his eyesight if not completely remove it.

Home Life: Yuki and his family reside in Hokkaido. Since the weather is colder than in other regions, especially in the winter, Yuki has always enjoyed colder weather, finding it more natural to him; so much so that he doesn't mind going out in shorts when others would be complaining about the cold! He's the first and only son (23 years old) with a younger sister (12 years old) to a mother (48 years old) and father (53 years old) who make and sell traditional sweets for a living. Though their parents claim that they themselves don't have quirks they do know that there are many people in their families that do which made them understanding when Yuki discovered his quirk. Yuki's sister, Hana Yawamizu (花 山水), also seemed to inherit a quirk: Blooming Caress, where she can generate many types of flowers she has seen before with her touch alone, seemingly memory based. However she is still unsure of what exactly she can use it for but can control it willingly.

School Life: Yuki attends 冬百合学園 (Winter Lily Academy), a university where alumni learn about useful information in regards to becoming heroes, civilian safety awareness, and advanced training in order to effectively use their quirks not only for solo use but together with other heroes. Yuki's closest friend, 冥王星 大城 (Meiōsei Ōshiro) (22) seems to be the opposite of Yuki: he's dark, taciturn, and firm and yet they get along very well. He's very fond of Yuki, finding himself spoiling and protecting him from harm. The two often practice together; Yuki using his precipitation to cause distractions so Meiōsei can advance his quirk: Phantom Permeation and Meiōsei helping Yuki develop his sense of defense and attack by stealthily moving about in close combat. Every now and then students are to be sent on missions and solve a problem ranging from helping children get along with one another to stopping criminals and villains from carrying out malicious acts. Each year has a rank for students: A, B, C, and D; Rank A meaning the individual has the strength, cooperativeness, and skills to be a substantial hero meanwhile Rank D individuals are just above having power and reliance compared to civilians.

Strengths: cold/rainy/cloudy weather, caring for others, being charismatic = persuading others, is resourceful, very observant

Weaknesses: warm/hot/humid weather, not very physically strong, overwhelmed easily, too selfless, too trusting of others, a bit clueless

Distinguishing Feature(s): beauty mark under his lip (right side)

Charm Point: he's too pure ! (´• ω •`)

// I might draw some more references for Yuki/his family/Meiōsei that is if my arm doesn't snap off ~ the amount of research I had to do is so tiring, I bet my search history looks insane right now !

I'll put a quick meanings behind the names:

Yuki's name "雪 山水" = Snow Mountain+Water

Hana's name "花 山水" = Flower Mountain+Water

Meiōsei's name "冥王星 大城" = Darkness+King+Planet Great+Castle

that's it for now ~ *passes out*